ALWAYS give them all their directions before telling the students to move anywhere.
Sometimes the teacher sings a song that the students know. They are expected to have out their new supplies by the time that the song finishes.
Timed transitions
More Transition Ideas from (www.teachingwithpurpose.com)
• Marvelous Microphone – Pre-make out of a cardboard roll, aluminum foil, black tissue paper and glue. This could used as an attention grabber or used when students would like to speak during circle/meeting time.
• Sensory Starters – Before kicking off a lesson give students a clue of what they’ll be learning about by creatively appealing to one or several of the senses– smell, hear, taste, touch, and sight.
• Picture Talk- Collect a series of different pictures or postcards that are related to a learning unit – ex: places, animals, people from other cultures,homes, seasons, etc. Use the pictures as a tool to create math word problems, as writing prompts, to ask open-ended questions, or as a visual memory game, etc.
• Pass the Parcel – Cover a small box in brown paper. It is played like hot potato. It could be used to summarize a lesson - when the music or counting stops that student has to say a fact that they learned about in the learning unit, ask a question about the unit, or answer a question.
• Create a classroom “Happy Box” – decorate several shoe boxes with contact paper/wrapping paper/or fabric. Fill it with a variety of themed materials. These materials should correlate with your specific learning unit. Rotate the materials out for each unit and add to items every few weeks. This could be a filler for students who finish an activity early.
Transition Times
• Morning arrival into the classroom
• Gathering for circle or meeting time
• Cleaning up
• Lining up to go to different places
• Settling down for rest (Kindergarten)
• Changing groups or activities
• Getting student’s attention
• Waiting
• Ending the school day
Quieting Tricks
• Magic Wand – sprinkle quiet fairy dust on students
• Rain Stick – soothing effect
• Follow the Flashlight – visual tracking skills (pre-place unit themed note cards around the room. Use the flashlight to search for questions, words, or clues)
• Traffic Light - Each color means a different level of classroom volume and motion
• Give Me Five - eyes on teacher, ears listening, mouth quiet, arms by your side, and feet still.
Clean-Up Ideas from (betterkidcare.psu.edu) Kindergarten
• Give children a five minute warning before clean-up time to make the transition easier.
• We freeze when play time if over. The teacher calls out, “freeze.” The children freeze right where they are and stand like statues. The I say, “Unfreeze and clean up.” And they know play time is over and everyone helps in clean-up. They love it!
• Stamp children’s hands when they participate in clean-up.
• Make clean-up time a game to play with children.
• Tell children that if they clean-up they will get to pick out a special activity from a box. Fill the box with slips of paper with several fun (short) activities. Have a child pull a slip when clean-up is finished or before if another incentive is needed.
• Take a basket and carry it around the clean-up area. Sing the clean-up song as children put toys in the basket.
• Sing a pick-up song.
• Turn clean up time into a game. Have a teacher close his/her eyes and ask the children to surprise you by putting toys away. Ask the children to tell when you should “peek” and see the clean room.
• Give the children rewards. Whoever picks up the most toys, papers, etc. gets a reward.
• Put on a favorite song and try to be finished by the time the music stops.
• Select Best Cleaner Uppers for reward or praise or as clean-up leaders.
• Count to 10 or 15. When you start counting they seem to start rushing to see who finishes first. Give praise for a good job done.
• Offer children a prize (stickers) for helping to clean up.
• Offer a prize of “authority.” Whoever cleans up the quickest will be the teacher helper and give out the cups or can “read” a book to the class or chooses where to line up or be the one to hold the teacher’s clipboard.
• Sing the following to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot"
"I'm a little helper
See me clean
I can pick-up
and not be mean
When we're finished
You will see
A nice clean room
for you and me"
More Transition Ideas from (www.teachingwithpurpose.com)
• Marvelous Microphone – Pre-make out of a cardboard roll, aluminum foil, black tissue paper and glue. This could used as an attention grabber or used when students would like to speak during circle/meeting time.
• Sensory Starters – Before kicking off a lesson give students a clue of what they’ll be learning about by creatively appealing to one or several of the senses– smell, hear, taste, touch, and sight.
• Picture Talk- Collect a series of different pictures or postcards that are related to a learning unit – ex: places, animals, people from other cultures,homes, seasons, etc. Use the pictures as a tool to create math word problems, as writing prompts, to ask open-ended questions, or as a visual memory game, etc.
• Pass the Parcel – Cover a small box in brown paper. It is played like hot potato. It could be used to summarize a lesson - when the music or counting stops that student has to say a fact that they learned about in the learning unit, ask a question about the unit, or answer a question.
• Create a classroom “Happy Box” – decorate several shoe boxes with contact paper/wrapping paper/or fabric. Fill it with a variety of themed materials. These materials should correlate with your specific learning unit. Rotate the materials out for each unit and add to items every few weeks. This could be a filler for students who finish an activity early.
Transition Times
• Morning arrival into the classroom
• Gathering for circle or meeting time
• Cleaning up
• Lining up to go to different places
• Settling down for rest (Kindergarten)
• Changing groups or activities
• Getting student’s attention
• Waiting
• Ending the school day
Quieting Tricks
• Magic Wand – sprinkle quiet fairy dust on students
• Rain Stick – soothing effect
• Follow the Flashlight – visual tracking skills (pre-place unit themed note cards around the room. Use the flashlight to search for questions, words, or clues)
• Traffic Light - Each color means a different level of classroom volume and motion
• Give Me Five - eyes on teacher, ears listening, mouth quiet, arms by your side, and feet still.
Clean-Up Ideas from (betterkidcare.psu.edu) Kindergarten
• Give children a five minute warning before clean-up time to make the transition easier.
• We freeze when play time if over. The teacher calls out, “freeze.” The children freeze right where they are and stand like statues. The I say, “Unfreeze and clean up.” And they know play time is over and everyone helps in clean-up. They love it!
• Stamp children’s hands when they participate in clean-up.
• Make clean-up time a game to play with children.
• Tell children that if they clean-up they will get to pick out a special activity from a box. Fill the box with slips of paper with several fun (short) activities. Have a child pull a slip when clean-up is finished or before if another incentive is needed.
• Take a basket and carry it around the clean-up area. Sing the clean-up song as children put toys in the basket.
• Sing a pick-up song.
• Turn clean up time into a game. Have a teacher close his/her eyes and ask the children to surprise you by putting toys away. Ask the children to tell when you should “peek” and see the clean room.
• Give the children rewards. Whoever picks up the most toys, papers, etc. gets a reward.
• Put on a favorite song and try to be finished by the time the music stops.
• Select Best Cleaner Uppers for reward or praise or as clean-up leaders.
• Count to 10 or 15. When you start counting they seem to start rushing to see who finishes first. Give praise for a good job done.
• Offer children a prize (stickers) for helping to clean up.
• Offer a prize of “authority.” Whoever cleans up the quickest will be the teacher helper and give out the cups or can “read” a book to the class or chooses where to line up or be the one to hold the teacher’s clipboard.
• Sing the following to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot"
"I'm a little helper
See me clean
I can pick-up
and not be mean
When we're finished
You will see
A nice clean room
for you and me"